Royalist Party

Royalist Party

When King Charles I tried to force his high church brand of Anglican religion upon the Presbyterian Scots they rose in opposition and joined in a "National League of the Covenant". To defend their Church they dared to take up arms against their king. To put an army in the field, Charles was forced to convene Parliament. But once parliament assembled, conflicting loyalties led to a "Royalist Party" and a "Parliamentary Party". The Parliamentarians, clearly a majority, were agreed on the broad Puritan principles but were divided over the form of the church. On the one hand were Presbyterians; on the other were Independents (or Congregationalists). United in their hatred of Archbishop Laud, the Parliamentarians succeeded in bringing him to trial and seeing him beheaded.

When Charles tried to punish the leaders of this opposition, civil war erupted. The Royalist members of Parliament left London to join the forces defending the king. So Parliament was free to institute the reform of the Church the Puritans had always wanted.

[tags]BlogRodent, Charles-I, church-history, ChurchRodent, Congregationalists, history, Presbyterians, Royalist-Party[/tags]

 

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